CUBE GO FULL ENDURO

New Stereo 150 29 has been purpose-built for winning EWS races

When you’ve got one of the fastest men on two wheels riding your bikes, it makes sense to build him the fastest bike you can, and let him play a part in its development. That’s just what Cube have done with Enduro World Series star Greg Callaghan and the Stereo 150 29. Here are five things you need to know about the flat-out Irishman’s new whip…

Cube decided to develop this frame after Greg jumped on a Stereo 140 29 at the Emerald Enduro EWS race in 2016. The mid-travel 29er was by no means a dedicated enduro race bike, yet Greg beat Richie Rude and Sam Hill for the win, proving that big wheels suit him down to the ground.

The new 150mm-travel frame has been built specifically for enduro racing. Cube have changed the suspension kinematics to make the bike much more progressive through its stroke. Even the fastest riders on the planet will have a back end that can deal with anything they throw at it.

The ‘C:68’ frameset, found on the top two models, is made from carbon fibre with a reduced resin content (this is possible thanks to the bound strands of carbon being formed into an oval shape), which makes for a lighter and stronger chassis.

While there’s a super-high-end ‘Action Team’ model in the works,

the ‘C:68 TM’ version of the bike (pictured) is loaded with Gucci parts at a more attainable (for some) price. That top-spec frameset is combined with Fox’s latest all-singing, alldancing 36 FIT GRIP2 fork and Float X2 rear shock, SRAM Code R brakes, a GX Eagle 12-speed transmission, sticky tyres and sorted finishing kit, and all for £3,999.

Cube haven’t gone mad with the geometry, but the low bottom bracket and reasonably slack head angle give plenty of high-speed stability, while the Fox dampers keep the tacky rubber stuck to the floor – until, that is, you want to pull up and boost your air miles!